Which is Better: Tap Water or Bottled Water?

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ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT: Disinfects water, killing bacteria.

DISTILLERS: Probably the least practical home method, distillers boil and condense water. Tabletop units are available, but they use lots of electricity, generate excess heat and require regular cleaning. In a pinch, buy distilled water.

WHAT’S IN YOUR TAP WATER?

These contaminants are common in U.S. water supplies:

ARSENIC, a poison that also can cause cancer, is found in all 50 states but is highest in the Southwest.

ATRAZINE, a widely used pesticide, may cause hormone disruption, cancer, muscular degeneration and cardiovascular damage. Found in all 50 states, it’s most common in the Mississippi River Basin during spring runoff.

LEAD, a heavy metal, can cause brain damage and developmental problems in children and it adversely affects blood pressure, kidneys and red blood cells. Lead has been found to exceed the national standard in many U.S. cities, such as Boston and Seattle, and is of high concern in many others, such as Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.

METHYL TERTIARY-BUTYL ETHER (MTBE), a gasoline additive, can leak into groundwater from underground fuel storage, spills and storm-water runoff and may cause cancer.

PATHOGENS such as Cryptosporidium, E. coli and giardia are carried by animal and human waste; they cause gastrointestinal illness that can be life-threatening for individuals with weakened immune systems.

PERCHLORATE is a contaminant from rocket fuel that harms the thyroid and may cause cancer. Leakage from a Nevada plant has reportedly contaminated the Colorado River, impacting drinking water in Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix and elsewhere. Currently, there’s no EPA standard for perchlorate, but its risks are being assessed.

TRIHALOMETHANES (THMS), including chloroform, are byproducts of chlorine treatment and are linked to cancer, miscarriages and birth defects. THMs can occur seasonally, for instance after heavy rains, when chlorine reacts with organic matter such as leaves and animal waste that wash into watersheds.

MINDY PENNYBACKER is editor of The Green Guide (www.TheGreenGuide.com), a print and online publication that helps people protect the environment and their families’ health through informed product choices and other actions.

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